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USA Chicken & Biscuit in Derry closes

By HUNTER McGEE Union Leader Correspondent

DERRY — After recently cleaning up and taking over the vacant KFC restaurant on Crystal Avenue, USA Chicken & Biscuit has suddenly closed.

Local officials said they were surprised by the recent closing of the business that opened earlier this year at 10 Crystal Ave. USA Chicken & Biscuit owner Rahim Woodod had done a great job cleaning up the property that was called an eyesore because of its unsightly condition, according to officials.

“The gentleman purchased it, and he did a wonderful job,” said Elizabeth Robidoux, planning department assistant. “It opened and the next thing we know, it’s closed.”

Woodod couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.

At the property recently, brightly colored banners fluttered in the breeze above the neat landscaping that was added when USA Chicken and Biscuit took over the business. The property looked clean and well-maintained, which is in stark contrast to how it once appeared.

The old KFC sat vacant for months as tall weeds grew in the front of the building and at the side of the parking lot. Some residents stepped forward last year at a Town Council meeting to complain about it. One resident called the former KFC an eyesore.

But a lot changed since the restaurant was sold in November, according to town officials.

Since the sale, workers removed vegetation and cleaned up the exterior of the property, Woodod said at the time. He added that approximately $3,000 was spent on landscaping alone.

USA Chicken & Biscuit also has a restaurant in Manchester, at 990 Elm St., that remains open. A worker who answered the phone Friday said he didn’t know what the plans were for the Derry property.

Local officials were also unsure of what will happen to the closed restaurant.

“We haven’t heard of any future plans for the business,” Robidoux said.